Social Media Marketing of The Coca Cola Company - Coursework Example

Brief Summary of the Organization Brief Summary of the Organization The Coca Cola Company is an American international beverage corporation, a manufacturer, retailer as well as a marketer of beverage concentrates which are non-alcoholic and syrups with its headquarters based in Atlanta, Georgia in the US (Jobber, 2010). It is the largest beverage company all over the globe and refreshes consumers with a record of more than 500 still and sparking brands. It’s one of the world’s most recognized and valued companies with a great reputation. Its brands are Coke, Fanta, Coca-Cola zero, sprite, krest, vitamin water, Minute Maid, Dasani, Powerade, and Fuze Tea among others. 1The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s number 1 provider of ready to drink beverages and juice drinks with the largest beverage distribution system and has consumers in moiré than 200 nations who enjoy the products at a rate of 1.9 billion servings in a day. The company has an enduring commitment aimed at building a sustainable community through focusing on initiatives that minimize environmental footprint, support healthy and active living, create safe inclusive work environments for all associates as well as enhancing the economic development of the communities from where the company operates. The coca-cola Company I ranked among the top 10 private employers who have more than 700,000 system associates. The organization has greatly engaged in online marketing such as social media marketing and mobile marketing and it has continued to throw some serious resources behind a content marketing campaign dubbed ‘content 2020’. This campaign aims at doubling the company’s sales by the end of the year 2020 through the use of all available and effective content marketing campaigns. On addition to this, the company has an active marketing mix strategy as discussed in the report (Sheth & Sisodia 2012) Social media marketing Social media involves the use of mobile and web-based technologies aimed at turning communication into some form of social interactive dialogue. It allows users of social media to come together online and discuss as well as exchange, communicate and participate in various forms of social interaction (Gay, Charlesworth & Esen, 2007). Countless conversations continues to take place online about Coca-Cola Company everyday and there have been campaigns aimed at ensuring that more than 150,000 business associates in more than 200 nations engage in those conversations and represent the company as well as share the positive and optimistic spirits of the brands. As far as social media interactions are concerned, the company still promotes the value of professionalism whereby all participants should remember who COCA-Cola is- the world’s biggest beverage company with an extremely high reputation which should be maintained at all costs (Drummond & Ensor 2005). The Company’s role in the social media society is to inspire moments of optimism as well as happiness and help build the brands of the company. All these considerations apply to the messaging and communications in the traditional social media as well as in the current technological world on social media platforms such as face book, twitter, YouTube, Instagram amongst others. For instance, in the year 2014, Coca-Cola had over 59 million face book likes and more than 125 million YouTube views. This means that every day, consumers all over the globe debate, discuss and embrace the Coca-Cola Company as well as the brands in thousands of online conversations. The Coca-Cola face book page was created initially by a couple of super fan to fill a hole the existed at that time. At this time, the company had nothing to do with Face book, but after new rules were introduced for the page, the company had to start managing it by itself. The principles are have fun but be smart on any social media platform. Our consumers are always urged to adhere to the core values of the company during online transactions. In relation to this, the Company initiated various training courses aimed at training associates as well as other agency partners on how to engage safely on social media. These trainings take place mostly in online learning portals (Gay, Charlesworth & Esen, 2007). The company makes various commitments which concerns the way the way they interact with the public as well as with each other on the interactions that take place on social media platforms. The management requires all company representatives such as company associates, agency associates, vendors and suppliers to as well commit themselves towards ensuring that the communications online are safe, professional and to the standards of the Company. Some of these commitments include: Ensuring transparency in social media engagements Protecting consumer’s privacy in compliance with IT security policies, laws and regulations Respecting copyrights third party rights and trademarks Monitoring the behaviors in the social media space and establish suitable protocols for the establishment of social media presence as well as keeping records for the participation as stipulated by the law. The Coca-Cola Company respects the rights of its authorized associates and agencies as far as the use of blogs and other social media platforms are concerned not only as a media of self expression but also as tools of furthering the business of the Company. The associates and agencies are always made aware of the implications of engaging in online and social media conversations that concern the company, the brands and the business. They should recognize when the company could be held responsible for their behaviors (Drummond & Ensor 2005). Company expectations from the personal use of social media Authorized and non-authorized agencies and associates as well as individual consumers should keep the following in mind when talking about the company, its business and brands: The company’s IT protection policies still apply Everyone is responsible for their actions. People are encouraged to get online and have fun but always use common sense and sound judgment. Every person out there is an ambassador to the Company’s brands and the company encourages people to promote the brand as long as one discloses something they are aware of concerning the company but not guessing things. How one discloses something depends on the platform used, but the disclosure must be clear and in proximity to the specific message. When one sees posts on topics that call for subject matter experience and expertise such as the Company’s financial performance, its environmental impacts, ingredients and obesity, they are encouraged to avoid responding directly unless they respond with approved messaging system. Always seek information from the local communications of public affairs director in case of any doubts. People are encouraged to be meticulous when combining the business with personal lives. They should first be aware of the work group’s policies which regard the personal use of social media networks at work or when using company devices. Company expectations from the use of social media By Company spoke people The company has contracted various people in all represented nations who act as the official spokes people for the company and they are expected to: (Drummond & Ensor 2005). Follow all applicable policies of the company when doing any transaction online Be trained internally before engaging and speaking on behalf of the company Disclose to people on their relationship with the company. The representatives must be transparent and disclose at all times their affiliation with the Company. These kinds of disclosures may vary depending on the situation and circumstances as well as the social media platform but basically, as an official, one should ensure that the people are able to identify that you are part of the company and that you are affiliated with the company. It is significant to note down that these requirements for disclosure are equally important to any other agency, partner, vendor or third party who represents the company online. Not to post when in doubt Only accredit where it deems necessary and avoid violating other people’s rights. One should never claim to be an author of something that is not theirs. Always approve the use of another party’s content. One must never make use of trademarks, copyrighted materials, publicity rights and any other rights without the approval and permission from the rights holder. Remember that the internet is always permanent Remember that posts made locally can have global significance. One should always answer online questions accurately in some parts of the world but at the same time inaccurate in other parts, but always keep in mind that you are participating in global online conversations (Miller, 2011). Being a concern of the social media, various historical activities have taken place and have left a mark on the profitability of the company. For instance, during the London 2012 Olympic games, there was a global toolkit known as ’Move to the Beat cmpaign’ which was activated in more than 120 countries with various types of contents. There was a 60 minute documentary on the making of global anthem with musician, Mark Ronson and was made the Beat maker app. Through this app, consumers created their own beats and uploaded them as ringtones and also in the Global beat on Face book aimed at sharing easily as well as ensuring easy reach and engagement (Jobber, 2010). The Coca-Cola company has been able to proficiently track sales record through the use of online marketing in such platforms especially face book and YouTube. Mobile marketing Mobile marketing entails a set of practices that enable an organization to interactively communicate and connect to listeners in an appropriate manner through any mobile device or network. Coca-cola used mobile marketing than ever in 2014 to engage their consumers by using Apple pay-enabled vending machines and QR codes, which saw the company, deliver value to retailers and convey efficiency in their operations from bottling plant to store shelf. These innovative programs of Coke garnered the award of the Mobile Marketer of the Year which was termed as one of the leading publications in the industry (Miller, 2011). Mobile Marketer acknowledged Coke by giving mobile a top role in marketing campaigns globally, including the Share a Coke launch initiative in last summer in the U.S., along with the use of second-screen strategies together with the emerging mobile technology like the Bluetooth beacons. It also added that Coca-Cola has remarkably demonstrated consistency in deploying mobile to meet its branding and marketing goals a move not met by many marketers in the industry. This same year saw the Coke’s mobile work extending beyond creative consumer campaigns to include everything from retail promotions and in-store merchandising, to Wi-Fi-enabled kiosks in rural South Africa. In Spain and Atlanta location, they use loyalty and reward programs that utilize inspirations to develop the value of life for people. A new mobile app improves the experience of the guest by unlocking location-based content in the Atlanta museum. President Robert Woodruff set out to put Cokes brands within an arm’s reach of desire back in 1920s and added that smart phones stand between the arms and desire. The choice of using mobile was to enable them have a desire. By undertaking that, the company is seeking to make mobile an irrevocable and indispensible part of how they conducted their business up and down their value chain (Sheth & Sisodia 2012). To achieve this described desire using smart phones, payments for more than seventy thousand Coke vending machines in United States are equipped to process transactions of Apple Pay, purchases with other Near Field Communication (NFC) solutions like Google Wallet and Softcard or even via contactless readers that enable customers buy a drink by holding up their phone (Strauss, & Frost, 2012). In future, Coke is focusing on scaling successful mobile programs around the globe as well as exploring upcoming technologies like mobile video and wearables. This will enable the company to connect the power of the worldwide Coca-Cola system with the power of mobile networks around the globe in order to benefit bottlers, consumers and customers (Meyerson, 2010). Marketing mix Marketing mix is a customary premeditated tool used to devise a plan for product development and promotions. Exploratory mix for a big and successful company like Coca-Cola can assist a business leader in understanding the dynamics and synergy implicated by the four core elements -- product, place, price and promotion. These four elements, 4ps, are the key decision making sectors that marketers must concentrate on to satisfy and exceed customer needs that will enable them surpass the pace of the competitors. Soft Drinks The Coca-Cola Company leads in the production of soft drinks globally. In the year 2010, it was the No. 1 selling soda with regular Coke and its Diet Coke brand outcompeted Pepsi for second billing. Coca-Cola has a number of brand variants, including Dr Pepper and Sprite within the pop category. Coca-Cola also produces sports drinks and fruit juices. Although, the emphasis on the soft drink industry has contributed to the ability of the company to distinguish itself as a quality provider. Distribution The notion of place has commonly been replaced by distribution in the marketing mix system. Distribution means conveying products to customers in a strategic manner. The process of distribution by Coca-Cola Company is a key element of its offering. The products of the company are available in cans and bottles in chain stores, supermarkets and other retail stores around the globe. Moreover, the Coca-Cola provides supplies for fountain drinks in many restaurants and sells its products in thousands of pop vending machines that are placed in businesses and public buildings. That ease and convenience of dispatching the product to the final consumers is very important to earn the loyalty of the customer (Strauss, & Frost, 2012). Price The long-standing strategy used by Coca-Cola in pricing of its products can be best described as value oriented. In spite of being a leader in its industry, its vicious rivalry with Pepsi has forced Coca-Cola to maintain affordable prices that are appealing to its vast middle class market. This was evident when the company was subjected to criticism by analysts and shareholders in the year 2011 for maintaining relatively low price points in response to economic recession in US. While this point puts emphasis on the risks to any company for adopting a strategy that is driven by price, Coca-Colas strong global brand permits for brief periods drops in price (Meyerson, 2010). Promotion Coca-Cola utilizes billions of dollars every year in advertising and promotions of its products around the globe in order to maintain its position of leadership in the industry against their rival Pepsi. We saw Pepsi increasing its TV ad budget by 30% in the year 2011 when it fell behind Diet Coke. Coca-Cola spends a subtle portion of its ad budget on television advertising. It savors its pride from the use of polar bear characters and a message of reminiscence and convention as part of its branding over time. Ads in magazines, social media as well as online advertisements have also been deployed y the company media for the purpose of marketing. Promotions in sales at the store are usually done to generate revenue during slow periods (Hardoon, & Shmueli 2013). Bibliographies Jobber, D., 2010, Principles and Practice of Marketing, 6th edition, McGraw Hill, Berkshire Baines, P., Fill, C., & Page, K., 2011, Marketing, 2nd Edition, Oxford. 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